Dredging-scoop.



No. 708,753. Patented Sept. 9, I'902.`v

H. G.- BUTLER.v

DBEDGING SCOOP.

Application med Der.. e, 1901.1

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No. 708,753. Ptanted Sept. 9, |902.

H. G. BUTLER.

DREDGING S000?.

(Appueaeio filed Dec. e, 1901.)

No. 708,753..- 'Patented sept. 9, |902.

H. G.- BUTLER.

DREDGING SCOOP.

(Application filed Dac. 6, 1991.) (nu Modem s shegts-sheet 3.

UNTTED STATES y PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. BUTLER, OF YDANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

DRI-:DelNc-sooop.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,753, dated September 9, 1902.

' Application led December, 1901. Serial No. 84,933. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it mayconoern:

Be it known that IHENRY G. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State'of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dredging-Scoops, of which the following is a specification. l,

My invention relates toimprovements in the construction of scoops7 buckets, ,or dip'- pers for use in excavating-machines. l

The dredging or lexcavating machines for which my improved scoop is more especially intended are those employed in making open cuts or in surface mining and which in one form comprises a ear to travel upon atraok at one side of the ground to be excavated carrying a suitable hoisting-engine, framework, and a swingingboom supportinga cable upon. which the scoop is caused to travel and by means of which it is raised and lowered in the performance of its Work. I-Iitherto it has been usual in dredging-machines of the above class to employ scoops provided with side walls or iianges to strengthen them; butit is difficult to handle such buckets in dredging very coarse material.

My object is more especially to providea scoop of improved construction `dispensing with the sides or flanges hitherto provided and which may be employed to handley very coarse material and even'slabs which would extend comparatively far beyond the sides of the scoop and which in coal-mining may beinserted into the seams to loosen and scoop up the coal in a manner that would beV impossible with scoops having sides.

My object is, further, toprovlde4 la com` bined scoop and plow Afor use more'partieu-A larly in the surface mining of hard or semihard materials, such as coal, cement-rock, and soapstone.

It is still further my object tovprovide an open-sided scoop which will be particularly strong, durable, and effective for its purpose and at the same time comparatively light in weight and easy to manipulate.

In the drawings, Figure lis a top plan view of my improved scoop; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same provided with plow-points; Fig. 3, a section taken on line 3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4c, a section taken on line 4 in Fig. 1

viewed in the direction of the arrow and showing the manner of securing the plowpoints in place when they are provided; Fig. 5, a rear elevation of the plow-scoop, and Fig. 6 a section taken on line 6 in Fig. and viewed in theV direction of the arrow.

A- is the body of the scoop, which is U- shaped in cross-section and formed, preferably, of a single casting. It hasrelatively -iiaring top and inner bottom walls a b and a curvedrear wall c. Extending around the top and rear walls are integral strengtheningribs d, having straight top edges. The lower side portion of the scoop is hollow and wedgeshaped and formed with a flat under surface or wall e, preferably parallel with the upper edges of the ribs d. At the forward edge of the lower wall in its upper side is a recess f to receive a blade B, which is, in effect, a continuation of the wall b and forms a scraping edge. The blade B is of a length approximating the width of the scoop and projects at its sharpened edge g a short distance beyond the base e. This construction, involving as it does the continuous walls a c b, ribs d, and base c, is very strong and vdispenses `with the necessity of side walls, which, as before stated, are objectionable in scoops of Vthis class. y d

' In order that the device may be employed as a plow-scoop, I provide in the base adjacent to therear wall ca series of narrow downward-flaring walled sockets h to receive the plow blades or points C. The plowpoints are'downwardly iiaring in construction from front to back and; comparatively thin to t snugly in 'the sockets h. They extend a desired ,distanceV beiowfthe under surface or base e, andat their upper ends they project above the vwall or surface b, where they are perforated to receive cotters t', which hold themagainst dropping'out. For the purpose of strength the sockets h are formed with Walls h', which form stays between the upper and lower base-walls b e. y

Extending through coincident openings in the ribs d on the upper sidel of the scoopbody near the back is a shaft k, and hinged at intervals upon the shaft between ribs is a swinging plate or support D, adapted to rest upon the upper surfaces of the ribs cl and ex- IOO tending to the forward edge of the scoop. Securely mounted upon the plate D, midway between its ends, is a sheave E. A rockshaft F is journaled upon the forward edge portion of the plate D and provided at opposite ends with downward-extending latches l, adapted to engage shoulder-lugs Z on the upper side of the wall a of the scoop. On the rock-shaft F at one end is an upwardly-projecting arm F, which is fixed to the shaft. The blade B and plow-points should be of tool-steel or the like to render them particularly strong and tough.

The scoop is supported in proper balance by the sheave E, which runs upon the cable G. This cable in practice would be connected with a hoisting-drum or the like, so that the scoop may be raised and lowered by tensioning or slackening of the cable. On the outer ribs CZ at the back of the scoop are attachments m for a rope or cable H, and on the forward edge portions of the plate D are attachments n for the cable I. The cables H and I may be actuated from suitable drums or the like on the machine. The engagement of the latches Z with the shoulder-lugs Z holds the body portion of the scoop rigidly against the plate D.

In operation the cable G is slackened to lower the scoop to the surface of the ground to be excavated, and while resting upon the ground the scoop is drawn forward by means of the cable I, causing the blade B to cut or otherwise separate the material through which it is drawn and cause it to be moved backward into the scoop. When the scoop is filled, it is raised by tensioning the cable G and then moved to the dumping-point along the cable G by means of the cables I and I-I. Connected with the handle F' is a rope F2. A pull upon this rope causes the shaft F to be rocked and the latches to release the lugs l', whereby the scoop under the weight of its contents will turn upon the hinges at the shaft and empty itself. When empty, the scoop may be swung upward on its hinges to engage the latches l, and thus be ready for another operation.

When the plow-points are provided and the device is to be employed as a plow-scoop, the operation is as follows: The scoop when lowered to the ground to be worked is sufficiently heavy tocause the points to embed themselves in the material. As the scoop is drawn along by means of the cable I the plow-points loosen and break up the surface which they engage, while the scoop scrapes up and iills itself with material previously plowed by the points. Thus in each operation material previously plowed and broken is scraped up, while a new surface is being plowed. The scoop-body may be formed with as many plow-point-receiving sockets as desired. In certain classes ot' Work no plow-points would be employed, while in other classes of work one or any number of the sockets may be fitted with plow-points.

While I prefer to construct my improvements throughout as shown and described, they may be variously modified in the matter of details of construction Without departing from the spirit of my invention as dened by the claims.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Adredging-scoop comprisinga U-shaped receptacle open at its opposite sides and having a base provided with a scraping edge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Adredging-scoop comprisinga U-shaped receptacle open at its opposite sides and formed with afseries of reinforcing-ribs extending along its top and rear portion, and with a base having a forward scraping edge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A dredging-scoop comprising a U-shaped receptacle open at its opposite sides and formed with a series of reinforcing-ribs extending along its top and rear portions, and with a hollow base having a forward scraping edge.

4. Adredging-scoop comprisinga U-shaped receptacle, having a top Wall a. and rear wall c provided on the outer side with strengthening-ribs, an inclined inner bottom wall b and a base c, and a scraping-blade B secured thereto, substantially as described.

5. In a dredging-scoop, a U-shaped receptacle formed with a series of reinforcing-ribs extending along its top and rear portions and with a base having a forward scraping edge, a support to which the scoop is hinged at its upper rear portion, an engaging and releasing catch on the support for the forward end portion of the scoop, and a supporting-cableengaging sheave on said support, substantially as and for the purpose set'forth.

6. A dredging-scoop provided with a scraping edge and xa rigid downward-projecting plow-point in rear of said edge in the plowing movement of the scoop, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A dredging-scoop provided with a scraping edge and a series of rigid downward-projecting plow-points in rear of said edge in the plowing movement of the scoop, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A dredging-scoop having a base formed with a ploW-point-receiving socket, a scraping edge at the lower forward end of the scoop, and a downward-projecting plow-point in said socket, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 4

9. A dredging-scoop comprising a U -shaped receptacle formed with a series of reinforcing-ribs extending along the top and rear portions, and with a hollow base provided with a plow-point-receiving socket and having a forward scraping edge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a, dredging-scoop, the combination on the base of `the receptaclefin roar of said of a supporti, a sheave on said support, a U- scraping-blade,substantially.as and for the 1o shaped receptacle hinged at its rear upper purpose set forth.l

portion to the said support catch meohani ism on the support for engaging and reieas- HENRY G' BUTLER' ing the forward end of the receptacle, a scrap- In presence ofing-blade on the lower forward edge of the re- ALBERT D. BACCI,

ceptacle, and a. downward-flaring plow-point WM. B. DAVIES. 

